


Trapeze

by LovelessWorld



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Platonic angst bullshit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:07:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22218286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelessWorld/pseuds/LovelessWorld
Summary: Ty Lee and Zuko through the years. One shot.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Kudos: 74





	Trapeze

_"This world is a whirlwind, but I'm holding that trapeze. And I'll never tell you who I love."_

As children, she used to run to him whenever she was hurt. 

Even at an early age, Azula had a tendency to be unkind. Her friends were not immune to her venom, often at the receiving end of the princess's biting words. Ty Lee was sensitive, unable to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks when Azula spat poison at her. Mai would shrug, avoiding eye contact with both other girls out of fear or apapthy. Each time Ty Lee's lips would quiver, her usual smile drooping as she turned to run away, searching the palace for the one friend she had left. 

"Zukooooo!"

When she found him Ty Lee would begin to wail, tossing her arms around the little prince's neck and sobbing into his shoulder. "Azula was mean to me again!" Zuko would pat her back awkwardly, mumbling that his sister was mean to everyone and it shouldn't be taken personally. Ursa watched with her usual gentle smile, offering her son a wink and slipping off into the palace's shadows to leave the children alone. 

* * *

When he was eleven, Zuko witnessed Azula's antagonizing of her friends for the first time. She purposefully knocked Ty Lee out of a tree with a nonchalant "oops," smirking when the girl hit the ground with a soft thud. The little acrobat yelped, whining as tears welled in her eyes. "Owww," she sniffled. "My ankle!" Zuko rushed over to her, concern painted across his innocent features. He sat beside her, examining her ankle with gentle fingers as she twitched away from his touch. "Ow ow ow..."

"It's okay," Zuko smiled. "It's just twisted. Come on, let's go to the infirmary and take care of it." He slipped an arm around her waist while guiding hers around his shoulders. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah."

From up in the tree Azula laughed, watching with sharp eyes as Zuko supported her struggling friend. "Zuko likes Ty Lee!~" she chanted. Zuko stuck his tongue out childishly before leading Ty Lee away. 

Ty Lee looked over her shoulder at Mai, who just stared at the ground as usual, arms crossed over her chest protectively. Perhaps she didn't care. 

"You okay?"

Ty Lee nodded tearfully. _No,_ she thought. _Mai's ignorning me._ Still, she offered a weak smile.

"Mhm!"

* * *

When she heard he was dating Mai, Ty Lee cried through the night. 

She sighed the next morning when she saw him, alerting the young prince to her presence accidentally. Her back straightened when his amber eyes landed on her, watching cautiously as his one remaining eyebrow raised in surprise. Zuko approached her immediately, his pace hurried, aura pulsing slightly as though he was happy. Perhaps he was. "Ty Lee," the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "It's been a while."

"Yes," she nodded a bit curtly, and chastised herself internally. How could she be so rude to a friend? "It has."

Silence. 

"I, uh. I have to admit I'm surprised to see you," Zuko scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Thought you joined the circus. Did Azula lie to me again?" Ty Lee chuckled. _Azula always lies._ "No, I did. But I'm back now! Azula recruited me to help find you, actually." Even more silence ensued, deeper this time and much darker. Zuko gulped. Perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned that. "I see," he muttered. "Funny how things change, huh?"

"Yes," she chuckled, remembering the friendship she used to have with the boy in front of her. "Funny."

How things change. 

* * *

"Circus freak."

Ty Lee's posture stiffened, gray eyes shooting up from the ground to rest on Zuko as he splayed himself across the sand. She gritted her teeth and tears threatened her vision, reminiscent of the childhood spent at the princess's side. 

She wanted to scream at him. 

She wanted to kick sand in his eyes, stomp her feet and throw a fit. _What are you attacking me for?_ She wanted to spit. _Because your sister's a bitch to both of us and your dad's a world-renowned piece of shit? We're supposed to be friends, you absolute pissbaby! Must you insult me on top of stealing the love of my life?_

She bit her lip. She couldn't say that, not a word of it. Half those words were too dirty to pass through her lips at all, ever. So instead she sighed, and with a glare she tried her best to be coherent. 

Still, as Zuko watched her with narrowed eyes, she knew he could read her in a way that the other two couldn't. So she stared him down and she hoped--no, she _knew_ \--he understood. 

_Give her back._

* * *

Three years passed and Mai broke up with Zuko. 

Ty Lee did her best to hide her joy, but Zuko could feel it--it radiated off her, buzzing like the power from Aang's Avatar state. Whatever caused her bliss remained unspoken, but Zuko believed he knew. The way her cheeks burned at the mention of the other girl's name, how she giggled whenever Mai said hers. It was all too recognizable, especially after he'd felt such giddiness himself.

Ty Lee was in love. 

"So Zuko," Ty Lee sipped her tea, sitting cross legged by the pond while her friend tossed pieces of bread at the turtle ducks he was always so fond of. "Mind telling me why Mai broke up with you?"

"Hm? Oh," Zuko pulled another piece off the bread roll in his hand, flicking it absent-mindedly into the water. "That's, um. Embarrassing," he muttered. "I don't think you want to know." Ty Lee tilted her head teasingly, a goofy grin spreading across her features. "Yes I do!" She chripped. "Of course I do! C'mon, gimme the deets!"

 _"Deets?"_ Zuko repeated. "You sound like a fourteen year old again." She nudged him playfully. "Don't change the subject. Tell meeeee!" Zuko swatted at her lazily, quiet laughter shaking his shoulders. "Fine, fine. Don't get mad."

Ty Lee narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" Zuko put up his hands defensively. "That's...kinda the problem, I guess. I mean not entirely, but...Mai's perceptive, you know. She probably knew before I did." Ty Lee gasped, her mouth forming a perfect _o._ "Knew what?" Zuko sighed and chucked another piece of bread into the pond, wincing when it almost hit a turtle duckling square on the head. "....That I wasn't invested in the relationship...?" He posed it like a question, and Ty Lee raised an eyebrow. "What," she drawled. "That's crazy! Last time I saw you two you were all honeymoon-y! What happened?"

"..."

She pouted. "What are you not telling me, Zuko? Did you do something dumb?" She poked him in the side and he flinched, glaring at her with bright red cheeks. _"Kinda,"_ he admitted. "Oooh," Ty Lee teased. "Dummy. What then? You can tell me." Zuko took a deep breath, closing his eyes tightly as if in pain. 

"Ihavefeelingsforsomeoneelse."

She choked on her tea. "WHAT?! No way!"

Zuko sighed again, hiding his scarred face in his hands. "I know," he muttered. "I know. It's stupid and it sucks and I wish I didn't but I do and Mai knew it. It....it wasn't fair to either of us to stay together. She was, uh. More understanding than I expected," his shoulders slumped. "But I'm pretty sure she's pissed at me."

 _"Duh,"_ Ty Lee poked his side again, digging her finger into the fabric of his exquisite clothing. "Anyone would be pissed about that. But," she stretched out her legs in front of her, leaning back on her hands. "It happens. So? Who stole you from Mai, hm?"

"No."

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me you're in love with someone who _isn't Mai_ and then not tell me who!" Zuko huffed. "You're right," he shrugged. "But...you have to promise you won't say a word." Ty Lee blinked. "Why? If you're in love you should say something." He wrinkled his nose. "No. Hell no. It'd never work out."

"Why? Who is it?"

 _Sigh._ "...Katara."

Ty Lee's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry, did I hear that right? Did you say _Katara?"_ Zuko nodded, his face almost as red as his robes. Ty Lee snorted. "I knew it! You two have great chemistry. You should tell her!" Zuko groaned. "I just said, no. She's with Aang, I can't do that to them." 

"So what, you're just gonna sit here and pine for the rest of your life?"

"...Yes?"

She pushed him lightly, staring him down with a scolding glare. "That's dumb," she said matter-of-factly. "Trust me, I'd know. It's awful. And besides, Aang and Katara might break up! You never know!"

"Well it's not gonna be because of me," Zuko insisted. "And I am _not_ risking my friendship with either of them over this. And anyway, how would you know what pining is like? You have men falling at your feet every day." Ty Lee took a deep breath and then exhaled strongly, closing her eyes as if to collect herself. Then she stared at him as if to say _you know._ He stared back. He did know. 

Still, she winked and put her index finger to her lips. 

"I'll never tell."


End file.
